John Lennon Working Class Hero Meaning

702 Words3 Pages

Reading the lyrics of John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero” will have you questioning the many different possible meanings. I read the lyrics about five times and was still unsure of the meaning. Then I decided to listen to the song, and at that point I was able to interpret. Not only was this song written with such harshness, but it was also sung with such emotion. I am almost certain that my interpretation of these lyrics may tell more of a story about my life then this song. The first line of the song reads “As soon as you’re born they make you feel small”. When he refers to “they”, I believe he is talking about something seen or felt instead of a person or group of people. “They” to me is an expression of the normal society, or what most of us are born into. It may also be what you or I think we are capable of achieving due to our financial or social standing. “You” in this song is referring to John and I. For example, I was born into a large family with a single mom who worked an okay job, and didn’t make much money. I most likely wore the same shoes for a whole school year, and I felt “small” compared to many of my peers. Maybe John experienced a childhood similar to mine. If so, that’s pretty awesome. The second line of the fourth verse states “And you think you’re so clever and classless and …show more content…

Lennon ended his song by repeating “If you want to be a hero well just follow me”. Since this song was written after John’s rise to fame, he is simply making an example of himself. After a life of hardship, he was able to overcome the oppression and make something of himself. He is one of the most well know rock stars of all time. These final lines in text came across very monotone, but if you listen to the song, John was very confident. I believe that is the most confident part of the song. He knew his standing, and was proud that he made it where he was. Above all, it was his way of saying that anything is possible and you can do whatever you put your mind